Email Designer

Generate Outlook-compatible email templates through conversation. The user describes what they want, you produce a pixel-perfect EML file that opens as a draft in Outlook.

How It Works

This skill has three layers:

1. Rules — Outlook compatibility constraints you follow when generating HTML
2. Templates — Pre-built components and layouts you assemble from
3. Code blocks — Python scripts you execute to produce EML files

The core (HTML + EML) uses Python stdlib only. Optional features (charts, header banners, image optimization) require additional packages that are auto-installed when needed — see Step 0.

Step 0: Environment Check

Before starting, verify that Python 3 is available. Try these commands (use whichever works on the current platform):

python3 --version    # macOS / Linux
python --version     # Windows (check that output shows 3.x, not 2.x)

• Exists and Python ≥ 3.8 → continue silently (do not mention the check to the user).
• Missing or version too low → do NOT proceed. Instead:
  1. Run

     uname -s

     and

     uname -m

     (or

     systeminfo

     on Windows) to detect the user's OS and architecture.
  2. If you have web search capability, search for the latest recommended way to install Python 3 on the user's platform, and provide the specific commands.
  3. If you cannot search, show this message in the user's language:

     中文: Email Designer 需要 Python 3.8 或更高版本。请访问 https://www.python.org/downloads/ 下载并安装适合你操作系统的版本，安装完成后重新运行。

     English: Email Designer requires Python 3.8 or later. Please visit https://www.python.org/downloads/ to download and install the version for your OS, then try again.

  4. Stop here and wait for the user to install before continuing.

Optional Dependencies (auto-installed when needed)

If Step 1 determines the email needs charts or image processing:

1. Execute

   code-blocks/deps-checker.py

   →

   check_and_install(features)

   • features

     is

     ['charts']

     ,

     ['images']

     , or

     ['charts', 'images']

2. All available → continue silently
3. Just installed → continue silently (installation is quiet)
4. Install failed → inform user and offer alternatives:
   • Charts unavailable → "I'll use HTML tables and stats-grid components instead"
   • Images unavailable → "I'll use the HTML header component and skip compression"

charts

images

Adaptive Flow

Not every request needs the full wizard. Match your approach to the user's input:

If the user's request already contains enough info (layout, colors, width, content type are clear from context), skip ahead. For example, "帮我做一个蓝色的产品更新邮件 模板，600px" already tells you: single-column, blue (#2563eb), 600px. Go straight to generating.

If the request is vague (e.g., "生成一个邮件模板"), use the wizard steps below to gather what you need — but ask efficiently, combining questions when natural.

Step 1: Understand the Request

Parse what you already know from the user's message, then fill gaps:

• Layout: Which layout fits? Check

  templates/layouts/

  for options:
  • Single Column (单栏) — product updates, announcements, weekly digests
  • Two Column (双栏) — reports with sidebar data
  • Magazine (杂志) — editorial with hero image and articles
  • Announcement (公告) — minimal, centered, call-to-action
  • Dashboard (数据面板) — KPI reports, analytics digests, weekly reviews
  • Transactional (事务通知) — order confirmations, password resets, system alerts
  • Onboarding (引导流程) — welcome emails, getting-started guides
  • Custom — user describes, you design from components

• Width: 600px (mobile-first) / 800px (balanced) / 1200px (desktop) / custom

• Colors: Brand image provided? Analyze it for colors (read the image with vision). Otherwise, offer presets: Blue #2563eb, Green #059669, Orange #ea580c, Purple #7c3aed, Gray #374151. (Full palettes in

  rules/brand-color-extraction.md

  )

• Saved templates: Run

  code-blocks/template-manager.py

  →

  list_templates()

  to check for reusable templates. If any exist, offer them first.

Material Assessment

After understanding layout/width/colors, assess what visual materials are needed:

• User provided data (Excel, CSV, table, numbers in conversation) → plan chart generation (Step 1.5a)
• User provided background image → plan header banner compositing (Step 1.5b)
• User provided local images → plan image optimization (Step 1.5c)
• Email type is Dashboard/Weekly Report/Data Report but no data provided → ask: "Do you have data you'd like visualized as charts?"

If any material preparation is needed:

1. Run dependency check (Step 0 optional deps)
2. Proceed to Step 1.5

If no materials needed → skip directly to Step 2.

Step 1.5: Material Preparation (when materials identified)

Prepare visual assets before generating HTML. All outputs go to the project's

images/

1.5a: Chart Generation (if data provided)

1. Read

   rules/chart-design-system.md

   for visual constraints
2. Analyze data structure → recommend chart type:
   • Categories × single value → horizontal bar
   • Categories × multiple series → stacked bar
   • Time × values → line chart
   • 2D matrix → heatmap
   • Parts of whole → pie/donut
   • ≤ 5 data points → suggest HTML table or stats-grid instead
3. Confirm with user: "Based on your data, I recommend a [type] chart. OK?"
4. Execute

   code-blocks/chart-generator.py

   :

   gen = EmailChartGenerator(container_width=WIDTH, output_dir='OUTPUT/images')
   path = gen.bar_chart(categories=[...], series={...}, title='...', filename='chart_name.png')
   

5. Preview chart image with user, iterate if needed
6. Final PNG ready at

   images/{chart_name}.png

1.5b: Header Banner (if background image provided)

1. Execute

   code-blocks/header-generator.py

   :

   gen = HeaderGenerator()
   path = gen.generate(title='...', subtitle='...', output_path='OUTPUT/images/header_banner.jpg',
                       bg_image='path/to/bg.png')  # or bg_color='#2563eb' for solid
   

2. If no background image but user wants a visual banner → offer solid-color option
3. If user doesn't want a banner image → use the HTML header component instead (no Pillow needed)
4. Output:

   images/header_banner.jpg

1.5c: Image Optimization (if local images provided)

1. Ensure images are in the project's

   images/

   directory
2. Check filenames — non-ASCII names must be renamed to ASCII (see

   rules/design-system.md

   § Image filename rules)
3. Execute

   code-blocks/image-optimizer.py

   :

   results = optimize_directory('OUTPUT/images/', threshold_kb=200)
   # results = [(filename, original_kb, compressed_kb), ...]
   

4. Report savings to user if any files were optimized

Step 2: Generate HTML

Before generating HTML, read these files for guidance:

• rules/outlook-compatibility.md

  — the Outlook compatibility rules (essential)

• rules/design-system.md

  — universal design foundation (colors, typography, spacing) (this is what makes emails look professional and modern, not just compatible)

• rules/design-system-data-report.md

  — ONLY for data-heavy emails (KPI dashboards, weekly reports, status updates). Skip this for simple newsletters/announcements.

• rules/chart-design-system.md

  — ONLY when generating charts. Color system, typography, sizing, and data label conventions for email-embedded charts.

• rules/email-best-practices.md

  — design guidelines

• rules/style-presets.md

  — design style presets (Corporate, Editorial, Minimal). Choose a style matching the email's purpose to guide spacing, font sizes, and color usage.

• rules/placeholder-i18n.md

  — use placeholders matching the user's language

• templates/components/*.html

  — proven Outlook-safe component patterns (includes stats-grid, nav-bar, status-badge for advanced layouts)

• examples/example-*.html

  — complete working examples for reference

Design tip — keep headers compact: The header should feel like a navigation bar, not a hero banner. Logo + title on one line, total height around 60-70px. Avoid tall spacer rows and oversized logos in the header — save vertical space for content.

Why Outlook compatibility matters: Outlook 2007-2019 on Windows uses Microsoft Word's rendering engine instead of a browser engine. This means most modern CSS (flexbox, grid, border-radius, margin) is ignored or broken. The rules file contains battle-tested patterns from a production email system that handles this correctly. Every HTML pattern in

templates/components/

Key principles when generating:

• NEVER insert content the user did not request — no "generated by AI" watermarks, no tool credits, no disclaimers. The footer should only include what the user's design calls for (copyright, unsubscribe link, etc.).
• Follow

  rules/outlook-compatibility.md

  strictly — it covers table layout, inline styles, VML dividers, spacer rows, MSO conditionals, and all other Outlook quirks. Read that file before generating any HTML.
• Gmail size limit — keep HTML under 102KB or Gmail clips the email.
• Preheader text — add a hidden

  <div style="display:none;">Preview text</div>

  right after

  <body>

  .

After generating:

1. Validate first: execute

   code-blocks/html-validator.py

   →

   validate(html)

   . Checks 32 rules including: forbidden CSS, missing VML, column width overflow, text overflow, Gmail 102KB size limit, missing alt text, non-HTTPS links, missing preheader, elements exceeding container width. Fix any errors before proceeding.
2. Organize output: execute

   code-blocks/output-manager.py

   →

   create_project(name)

   to create a timestamped directory in the user's working directory (e.g.,

   ./output/2026-03-15_product-report/

   ). Never write output files into the skill's own installation directory.
3. Save HTML to

   {project_dir}/newsletter-preview.html

Step 3: Preview & Adjust

1. Auto-open in browser: execute

   code-blocks/preview-helper.py

   →

   open_in_browser()

   • All images render directly (charts, header banner, content images)
   • No need to generate EML for preview
2. Show ASCII layout summary in conversation: →

   ascii_layout_summary(html)

3. Ask if adjustments needed, iterate until satisfied

Step 4: Fill Content (Optional)

Ask: "Want to fill in content now, or leave placeholders for editing in Outlook?"

If filling now:

1. Execute

   code-blocks/content-filler.py

   →

   generate_fill_template(html)

   to show all placeholders as a YAML-like template the user can fill at once
2. Collect content — either one at a time OR as a batch dict from the user
3. Execute

   fill_batch(html, content_dict, image_dir)

   for efficient batch filling (auto-maps images from a directory to CID placeholders)
4. Re-preview and check

   unfilled_placeholders(html)

   for any remaining

Quick Edits (anytime after Step 2)

If the user asks for a targeted change (e.g., "change the header color to red", "make the title bigger"), use

code-blocks/html-patcher.py

• replace_color(html, old, new)

  — swap a color everywhere

• change_width(html, old_w, new_w)

  — resize the container

• replace_text(html, old, new)

  — change visible text

• add_section(html, section_html)

  — insert before footer

• patch_file(path, colors={...}, texts={...})

  — apply multiple patches at once

Re-validate after patching:

html-validator.py

validate(patched_html)

Step 5: Generate EML

This is where the HTML becomes a real email file. Execute

code-blocks/html-to-eml.py

# How to execute: write a modified copy of the script with filled-in CONFIG values,
# then run it with: python3 /path/to/modified_script.py

# The CONFIG section to modify:
HTML_FILE = "output/newsletter-preview.html"   # your generated HTML
OUTPUT_EML = "output/newsletter.eml"           # output path
SUBJECT = "..."                                # ask user
SENDER = ""                                    # optional
TO_ADDRS = []                                  # optional
IMAGE_DIR = "output/images"                    # if images exist

The script uses Python's built-in

email

X-Unsent: 1

Step 6: Wrap Up

1. Offer to save the template: execute

   code-blocks/template-manager.py

   →

   save_template()

2. Show the output file locations
3. Display the appropriate usage guide:
   • Chinese user →

     templates/guides/outlook-usage-guide-zh.md

   • English user →

     templates/guides/outlook-usage-guide-en.md

File Map

rules/
  outlook-compatibility.md   ← Read before generating HTML (Outlook rendering rules)
  design-system.md           ← Universal: colors, typography, spacing (ALWAYS read)
  design-system-data-report.md ← Extension: KPI cards, status badges, trends (data emails only)
  email-best-practices.md    ← Design guidance (widths, colors, typography)
  style-presets.md           ← 3 design styles: Corporate, Editorial, Minimal
  placeholder-i18n.md        ← Localized placeholder text (zh/en/ja)
  chart-design-system.md     ← Chart colors, typography, sizing (read before chart generation)
  brand-color-extraction.md  ← Color extraction + preset palettes

templates/
  components/*.html          ← 19 Outlook-safe HTML building blocks
                                (header, section, card, table, image-placeholder,
                                 divider, footer, stats-grid, nav-bar, status-badge,
                                 progress-bar, button, callout, testimonial,
                                 feature-list, pricing-table, team-member,
                                 alert, timeline)
  layouts/*.md               ← 7 preset layout descriptions
                                (single-column, two-column, magazine, announcement,
                                 dashboard, transactional, onboarding)
  guides/*.md                ← End-user Outlook usage guides (zh/en)

code-blocks/
  html-validator.py          ← Run AFTER generating, BEFORE EML (auto-check 32 rules)
  html-patcher.py            ← Targeted edits (color, width, text) without regenerating
  output-manager.py          ← Timestamped project directories for organized output
  eml-builder.py             ← EML builder class (fluent API)
  cid-embedder.py            ← Image scanning + placeholder PNG creation
  html-to-eml.py             ← Complete HTML→EML script (execute this)
  content-filler.py          ← {{placeholder}} replacement + batch filling
  template-manager.py        ← Save/load/list custom templates
  preview-helper.py          ← Browser auto-open + ASCII layout
  deps-checker.py            ← Auto-install optional dependencies (charts, images)
  chart-generator.py         ← Plotly chart generation (bar, line, heatmap, pie)
  header-generator.py        ← Header banner image compositing (text on background)
  image-optimizer.py         ← Image compression (PNG→JPEG, resize, optimize)

examples/
  example-single-column.html ← Complete 600px single-column reference
  example-two-column.html    ← Complete 800px two-column reference